Miniature-golf game board



June 14, 1949. J. CIPYAK 2,473,277

MINIATURE GOLF GAME BOARD Filed Jan. 10, 1947 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I In ventar N a) q .John Cipyak June 14, 1949. J. CIPYAK 2,473,277

I MINIATURE GOLF GAME BOARD Filed Jan. 10, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2.

A 5155:4117, Fig. 4. I8: Inventor r John Cipyak By v WWW ma,

Patented June 14, 1949 PA'T E NT OFFICE MINIATURE-GOLFGAME BOARD J'dhn'Cipyak, Lansford, Pa., assignor 'ofseventeen and'onehalfper-cent to Margaret Gipyak,-seventeen and one-half per cent :to Tekla Cipyak,

seventeen :and mire-half per -cent '10 Francis 3E.

EStemer, andiseventeen and mnev'half per teent itoiAnna Sterner, all of Lansford, Pa.

.j'Application January 10, 1947,Serial Np.".721,247

i3-Glaims. :1 "This invent-ion relates to a novel "game board for "use in=playing a game simulatingthatiknown as *minia'ture -'gdlfi An*dbject oi theinventionis"toprovide a game which is amusing and entertaining, and which "involves skill 'and patience in the playing "thereof.

Afurther"object-"of"'the invention is to provide a game board of the above *kind formed with depressed :aperture'd *gdlf course sections upon -w1'iich"a' rolling game-'piece 'is-to 'be'n'ioVedby skilltful tilting"oi theboard from the' horizontal.

*An'other =obj'ect "of the invention is to provide a gameboard of the abovekinwin-which provision is'made for collecting the gamepieceswhih pass 1 through trap-simulating openings separately 'from those which pass through cup-simulating openings, thereby facilitating scoring of points during playing-o'f-thegame.

Still another object "of the invention -'is to pro- -vide'-a gameboard ofthe above'kindwhich is relat'ively simple in construction *and which-can"be -'-mamifactured' at *a relativly low cost.

The exactnature of "the present invention will become apparent from the following description when considered "in connection -w'ith the accompanying drawings, in which:

"Figure 1 is *a "top plan =view of the game "board "constructed in accordance with "the present invention;

Figures 2 and *3 are sections taken respectively on line 22 andon line .3-3 .oiFigure 1; and

Figure 4 is afragmentary'vertica'l section taken i011 the 1ine:4-4iof:l ligure:3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present I game boardlincludesarectangular tray A having a flat bottom 10 formed at the edges with right angulariy disposed side walls l l and end walls [2.

iBpacedihorizontal'decks 13 #and M are rigidly supportedwithin .theitray A between the top and bottom of the latter, and said decks extend the full width of the tray and from one end of the latter to a point adjacent but spaced from the other end thereof. Each deck preferably has depending walls I5 and H3 at the edges thereof which rest upon the bottom wall III of the tray to support the decks at the proper elevation, the deck l4 being nested within the lower portion of deck I 3. A vertical wall I! divides the spaces above and below the decks from the space at said other end of the tray so that the latter space provides a collection chamber for spherical game pieces I811, within the tray., The vertical wall I! and the adjacent depending walls l5 and N5 of the decks have superposed exit openings therein at [8 and 18' and neanone 'endof said awa'll I31 'for passageof the :game pieces from the spaces abeneath the respective decks to said chamber. 'Strips l9 an'd'20 divide said:chamber-intoaseparate game :p'ie'ce receiving compartments 2i and 22 Whi'ohpommunicate'with therespective exit:openings at -13 and 18, and: said strips "have elevated horizontal portions r23: arrangedin the'same plane and in spaced tandem relation within the collection chamber, and inclined portions :24'for leading the game "pieces :upwardly from each cof psaid p n ngsiat =18 .and I58 :to thetassociated elevated portions 23 "when 'the 'board iis "tilted laterally :in one direction. This facilitates delivery of the game ':pieces at elevated points within the compartments 125i :and 522 for convenient removal atherefrom. "The 211131 61 :deck 43 has :separated (depressed areas 325 which simulate the :sections or ".l1'oles of .a :miniature :golf course and which arc numberedzastat azto denote thesuccessive secitlOllSL'Of fthe gdlfiCOllISe in the order that they are to the negotiated, as wvell (as being :located 1170 indicate lthaitee :zposition tier the respective sections. Withineach section' flt'vthe upper sdeckcil3 is plZOVl'dfit1ZWith an :openingsifi, preferably circular, isimulating the cup of the section. Also, *within eachsection the :deck [3 is :provided' with 'atleast tonecdtheriopeninga'll representing artrap. There is a, iii-airway surface 28 within eachse'ctionzbetween the tee position a and the cup simulating opening 26 thereof. This fairwayisurfacemay be fornIed Ibyra iiat portion of *thesurface of deck H3 within ceaich :depress'ion, L or 2a, groove in the top 0f a'smemb'er 2-9 securediwithin a depression .or "depressions andihaving anzinclined upper surface soias -to simul'ate' the"condition@presented by a-liill "or fhilly portio'n within the section of the course. "The grcove fifl is :of a sizeto form a runway for ithe zgameipieces 8a in passing :fromthe tee position to the :cup --simulating -operiing. 'In one 01' more cases, aitunnel member-ml may' 'be-provide'tl within a depression or depressions through which the game pieces must be rolled in passing from the tee position or positions to the cup simulating hole or holes.

Means are provided for conducting the game pieces from the cup simulating openings 26 to the space beneath the lower deck l4, such as upstanding tubular members 31 provided on the lower deck M in vertical alignment with the openings 26 and corresponding openings provided in said lower deck M as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4. The trap-simulating openings 21 provide for passage of the game pieces into the space between the decks l3 and I' l.

The game may be played as follows:

A movable game piece lBa is positioned at the tee position a indicated by the numeral 1 in the first section of the golf course, and by inclining the board, said game piece is rolled toward the cup-simulating opening 2 6 of this section of the course. The object is to carefully manipulate the board so as to cause the game piece to not pass through the trap-simulating opening or openings at 2'1 and to pass through the cup-simulating opening at 26. As the game pieces which pass through cup-simulating openings 26 will collect in the compartment 22, and as those which pass through the trap-simulating openings 21 will collect in the compartment 2|, accurate scoring of the game is facilitated. This operation is repeated in connection with each of the succeeding sections of the golf course by the same player. The same procedure is then followed by another player, and the player succeeding in causing passage of the greater number of game pieces through cup-simulating openings wins the game. Care must be taken to prevent a game piece from rolling out of the depressed golf course sections, and skillful manipulation of the board is necessary to negotiate the fairways without causing passage of the game pieces through the trap-simulating openmgs.

The game can also be played by two or more players, each player playing one hole at a time. Thus, a player will continue trying until he succeeds in rolling the game piece into the cup-simulating hole of a section of the course, the game piece being returned to the tee position of such section each time it passes into a trap-simulating opening, and one stroke being counted for each try. After all players have rolled the ball into the cup-simulating hole of this section, they proceed to and successively play the next section of the course. When all sections of the course have been played, the player requiring the least number of trys or strokes for the course wins.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes as to the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A miniature-golf game board comprising a rectangular tray, a plurality of only two spaced horizontal decks rigidly supported one above the other within said tray between the top and bottom of the latter, said decks extending the full width of the tray and from one end of the latter to a point adjacent but spaced from the other end thereof, a vertical wall dividing the spaces above and below said decks from the space at said other end of the tray, and strips dividing the latter space into two separate collection chambers for spherical game pieces, said vertical wall having superposed exit openings therein near one end for passage of game pieces from the spaces beneath the respective decks to the respective collection chambers, the upper deck having a plurality of depressed areas simulating the sections of a golf course and being provided with a cup simulating opening and a trap simulating opening in each depressed area, and means to conduct game pieces from certain of said openings through the lower deck.

2. A miniature-golf game board comprising a rectangular tray, spaced horizontal decks rigidly supported within said tray between the top and bottom of the latter, said decks extending the full width of the tray and from one end of the latter to a point adjacent but spaced from the other end thereof, a vertical Wall dividing the spaces above and below said decks from the space at said other end of the tray so that the latter space provides a collection chamber for spherical game pieces, the upper deck having a plurality of openings, means to conduct game pieces from certain of said openings through the lower deck, said vertical wall having superposed exit openings therein near one end for passage of game pieces from the spaces beneath the respective decks to said chamber, strips dividing said chamber into separate game piece receiving compartments communicating with the respective exit openings, and said strips having elevated horizontal portions arranged in the same plane and in spaced tandem relation within said chamber and inclined portions for leading the game pieces upwardly from each of said openings to the associated elevated portions when the board is tilted laterally.

3. The construction defined in claim 1, wherein the cup-simulating openings are of circular form and the trap-simulating openings are of non-circular form, the lower one of said decks having openings aligned with the cup-simulating openings of :the upper deck, and tubular members carried by the lower deck and providing the means for conducting the game pieces from the cup-simulating openings to the space beneath the lower deck, the trap-simulating openings providing for passage of the game pieces into the space :between the decks.

JOHN CIPYAK.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 94,469 Cipyak Feb. 5, 1935 2,054,616 Durant Sept. 15, 1936 

